Method of adding information title containing audio data to a document

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a method for adding an information title containing audio data to a document. It provides a method for rapidly adding audio data to those data stored in a computer (PC or laptop) or PDA (Personal Data Assistant). The invention allows audio data to be recorded by an audio recorder and saved as an audio file after the information title of a document is opened. A link between the opened information title and the audio file is created, and an audio link tag is then shown on the information title linked with the audio data. The audio data can be easily retrieved by clicking the information title.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The invention relates to a process of rapidly recording audiodata to a computer (PC or laptop) or a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA),especially for rapidly adding recorded audio data to a designated textor other kind of information title.

[0003] 2. Related Art

[0004] The most popular way to record audio data is by using an audiotape recorder or other audio recording instrument. The purpose of therecorded audio data is reference or for documents that could be printedpapers ‘manuscripts ’ or digital data stored in a computer (PC orlaptop) or Personal Digital Assistant (PDA). Computers and PDAs arewidely used as substitutes for conventional notebooks for handling orstoring information. The information could be text files ‘pictures ’ ormovies. When a user is trying to retrieve audio data from an audio taperecorder, it is not easy to retrieve the data corresponding to documentcontent from recorded audio data. The efficiency of obtaininginformation is thus not ideal.

[0005] Although audio files can be saved and played in most computers(PC or laptop) or PDAs, conventional methods of storing audio filesinvolve using file management applications, such as Windows' FileManager, to save the audio file to an assigned disk or document folder.However, this is only a method for storing information to a disk ordocument folder. When users are trying to refer data to a correspondingaudio file, it is still necessary to search for the corresponding fileand then play the audio file with media player. In this case, it is notconvenient at all.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] A primary object of the invention is to provide a method ofrapidly recording audio data to a computer (PC or laptop) or PersonalDigital Assistant (PDA).

[0007] A second object of the invention is to provide a convenientmethod of recording audio data with a computer or PDA.

[0008] By using the method of the invention, users can designate anobject (which could be a sentence or a title) that is linked to an audiofile, run a recording program to save the recorded audio data as anaudio file, and link the audio file to the designated object. Afterlinking the object and audio file, an audio link tag is displayed on theobject, enabling users to retrieve the audio file by simply clicking theinformation title.

[0009] Further scope of applicability of the invention will becomeapparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, itshould be understood that the detailed description and specificexamples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, aregiven by way of illustration only, since various changes andmodifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will becomeapparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] The invention will become more fully understood from the detaileddescription given hereinbelow. However, the following description is forpurposes of illustration only, and thus is not limitative of theinvention, wherein:

[0011]FIG. 1 illustrates the block diagram of the system function of theinvention.

[0012]FIG. 2 illustrates the major operation flow chart of theinvention.

[0013]FIG. 3 illustrates the detailed operation flow chart of theinvention, showing steps for generating an audio file that will belinked to an information title.

[0014]FIG. 4 illustrates the detailed operation flow chart of theinvention, showing steps for playing an audio file linked to aninformation title.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015]FIG. 1 illustrates the block diagram of the system function of theinvention. The components required for the invention include:

[0016] a computer 10, such as a PC ‘laptop ’ or PDA is required. Thecomputer 10 comprises a device having multimedia functions. Themultimedia functions are, for example, a recording media 11 from whichdata can be retrieved (such as a hard drive and memory) ‘an input unit12 (such as a mouse or keyboard) and an output unit 13 (such as amonitor);

[0017] a recording device 20 (such as a microphone and audio card);

[0018] an audio output device 30 (such as a headset and speaker);

[0019] a recording program 40 and

[0020] an audio playing program 50.

[0021]FIG. 2 illustrates the major operation flow chart of theinvention. The steps of the invention include:

[0022] 1. Provide a recording program 40, which is stored in therecording media 11 of the computer 10;

[0023] 2. The recording program 40 is initiated after a record commandis made or a command option is chosen by the input unit 12.

[0024] 3. Convert audio data recorded by a recording device 20 to anaudio file. This step is for the purpose of storing audio data receivedthrough the microphone and audio card to designated locations in therecording media 11 of the computer 10. The designated locations are, forexample, in the memory or hard drive.

[0025] 4. A link between the audio file and designated information titleis created. In this step a hyperlink tag is added to the informationtitle (which could be a sentence or a word) designated by the input unit12. A user can click the information title to retrieve the audio file towhich it is linked.

[0026] 5. Audio playing steps for activating the audio playing program50 to open the audio file and play via the audio output device.

[0027] Step 2 mentioned above can be performed by inputting a command orselecting from command options. For example, it can be done by pressinga button (like the right or middle button of the mouse) of the computerinput device 12. Subsequently, the recording program 40 is initiated.Step 2 can also be performed by clicking an icon displayed on the outputdevice 13 (i.e., a monitor) of the computer. After the icon is clicked,the recording program 40 is initiated.

[0028] One embodiment of the invention is described as follows (as shownin FIG. 3) For example, a student gets a document about his or her classschedule. This document containing different class titles can be createdby the student or obtained via e-mail, and then saved to the recordingmedia 11 of the computer 10. When the student is taking classes, s/hejust needs to open the class schedule containing class titles (step a1)and move the cursor to the class title that s/he is currently taking.S/he then presses the right button of the mouse to select the “record”command to and initiate the recording program 40 (step a1-a3). Therecording program 40 saves the audio data received through a microphoneand audio card as an audio file (step a4) to the recording media 11 ofthe computer 10 or PDA. The class title is linked to the saved audiofile. The link node generated by the preceding processes is thencombined with the class schedule by, for example, changing the originalcolor of the class title to a specific color as a mark of linkage (stepa5). After everything is done, the student can simply click the linknode containing the class title of a specific color to open and listento the recorded audio data.

[0029]FIG. 4 illustrates the flow chart of playing audio files. Open theclass schedule (step b1), and move the cursor to a class title linked toan audio file. Click the left button to choose this class title (stepb2). Initiate an audio playing program 50 (step b3). The audio playingprogram 50 opens the corresponding audio file stored in the recordingmedia 11 of the computer or PDA. The audio file is played via the audiooutput device 30 (step b4).

[0030] According to the method of the invention, users can use acomputer (PC or laptop) with multimedia functions to record audio dataand link the audio data to a given information title. It is notnecessary to use an audio tape recorder. The inconvenience caused bysearching audio files in storage media (hard drive, memory or CD-ROM)will not occur with the invention.

[0031] The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that thesame may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regardedas a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all suchmodifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intendedto be included within the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. Method of adding information title containingaudio data to a document, it can be used to add audio data to documentsstored in computer or PDA, comprises: providing a recording program, therecording program is stored in a recording media of a computer; callingthe recording program, the recording program is called and executedafter a record command is input, converting audio data recorded by arecording device to an audio file, the step is to store received audiodata to a designated position inside the recording media of thecomputer, building a link between the audio file and the designatedinformation tile, the step is to add a hyperlink tag linked to the audiofile to the designated information, and audio playing step, after thehyperlink tag is clicked, the audio playing program is activated to playthe audio file.
 2. Method of adding information title containing audiodata to a document of claim 1, wherein the recording media is harddrive.
 3. Method of adding information title containing audio data to adocument of claim 1, wherein the recording media is memory.
 4. Method ofadding information title containing audio data to a document of claim 1,wherein the record command is processed by pressing a button of a inputunit of the computer.
 5. Method of adding information title containingaudio data to a document of claim 4, wherein the input unit is a mouse.6. Method of adding information title containing audio data to adocument of claim 1, wherein the audio file is stored in a designatedposition of the recording media.
 7. Method of adding information titlecontaining audio data to a document of claim 6, wherein the designatedposition of the recording media is a path inside a hard drive.
 8. Methodof adding information title containing audio data to a document of claim1, wherein the hyperlink tag is text of a specific color.